Corn and Beans Quilt Block

    
     I had several Corn and Beans blocks from which to choose.  I thought this pattern from 5500 Quilt Block Designs by Maggie Malone fit best with my fabrics. They were scraps from a picnic blanket quilt I had made from a variety of food fabrics.  I had to limit this block to 7-1/2" finished due to the size of my scraps.  I also found a free pattern online at The Quilter's Cache right here.  (At The Quilter's Cache, it's called North Wind, another name for this block. 
     In these diary entries, Hattie had planned to go on a date with Frank George (her future husband) to hear William Jennings Bryan speak at the Chautauqua in Burlington, Kansas.  http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b000995  (Bryan was a former U.S. Congressman, unsuccessful Democratic candidate for President, and former Secretary of State for President Wilson.)  Anna is her younger sister, and Grace is a hired girl.  

Tuesday, July 18, 1916 -
"Oh, I could fairly bite nails!  To think that I didn't go to Burlington when I might have just as well as not.  But such is life.  (Frank) said if I could go, he would be down about four o'clock as we were to be in Burlington for supper.  So I told him it would be all right.  Well, about noon, Papa got word that the threshers would be here this evening, probably for supper, so after Papa had talked to them and they had phoned that they would surely be here, I phoned to Frank and, explaining matters, told him I couldn't go for I wouldn't leave Mother with threshers to feed.  Frank knew we were expecting them as they had just been to his place so, of course, he was real nice about it.

"I did a little baking and ironed until nearly five o'clock, and it was a mighty hot afternoon, too.  We got word that the threshers were going to Mr. Ellis' first, so we gave up the pleasure of anticipating them for supper.  And they didn't even reach Ellis' until seven o'clock this evening, will thresh there in the A.M. and will not be here until dinner.  I call that just downright hard luck!  But as fate decreed! 

"Mother, Grace, Anna, Papa, and I went to town this evening. . . Mother sold some cucumbers so treated us all to ice cream."

Wednesday, July 19, 1916 -
"The threshers finally arrived at noon today - I don't think they are half bad, I rather enjoy the excitement.  Mother, of course, did most of the cooking, but we helped and I waited on the tables.  We had a small table in the opening to the hall.  There were fifteen men and boys (counting our own) here for dinner and fourteen for supper.  They are not finished yet but may leave before noon tomorrow.  The oats are fine.  Mother and I went down and watched the men at work a little while this evening.  They didn't come in until late this evening; in fact, it was 8:30 by the time all were through eating.

"I am going right to bed as I'm tired.  My feet and ankles hurt as, of course, I have been on them a good deal today.  We finished the ironing this afternoon, for which I am glad.  It has been a little cloudy and cooler since noon but no rain as yet.

"I was sort of stunned by the force of a remark Mother made this morning.  I was sprinkling the clothes to iron, and she was showing me about starching the collars.  'I'll just show you,' said she, 'so you will know how to do up Frank.'  She said it so earnestly and neither one of us cracked a smile, but the queerest feeling ran through me.  Everybody seems to take us so seriously!"

Hattie's Corn and Oysters

2 cans cream style corn

1 can oysters, drained

14 saltine crackers

2 Tablespoons butter

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

2.  Pour one can of corn into a greased 1-1/2 quart casserole dish. 

3.  Cut each oyster in two.  Put half the can of oysters in a layer on top of the corn.  Break up 7 crackers over the oysters and dot with 1 Tablespoon butter.

4.  Repeat with the rest of corn, oysters, crackers, and butter.

5.  Bake 20 to 30 minutes until bubbly and the crackers are browned.  

This is a traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas dish at our house.
 

You might also enjoy reading my previous blog post:
http://www.starwoodquilter.blogspot.com/2012/02/farmers-daughter-quilt-mosaic-81-blocks.html